


Armour

by odessasbluecoat



Category: Into the Badlands (TV)
Genre: F/F, i miss them a lot, they're soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:55:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26103022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/odessasbluecoat/pseuds/odessasbluecoat
Summary: What happened after that kiss in the Sanctuary's garden.
Relationships: Odessa & Tilda (Into the Badlands), Odessa/Tilda (Into the Badlands)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	Armour

**Author's Note:**

> hi!  
> Someone sent me a prompt on tumblr so I produced a little something. I miss them a LOT, okay?  
> I wish we'd seen their relationship develop more. But since the writers didn't want to give that to me, I'll have to think of smth myself I guess.  
> Also I realize I might have stolen some ideas from my own fics? But hey 🤷
> 
> I wrote this while listening to TENDER's entire discography ;) I stole the title from one of their songs. Check em out if you haven't already, their songs send me to another dimension.
> 
> English is not my first language, so apologies for any mistakes.
> 
> Tilda and Odessa are soft, k bye.
> 
> Prompt: I'd love to see their first time being intimate together, if you're still into writing Tildessa <3 I definitely just binged all your stories.
> 
> Thanks for this!
> 
> xxx

Odessa fit right in. She's adapted quite quickly to her new life as a Butterfly, is well-liked by the rest of the girls, and has proven to be an excellent fighter. The Widow couldn't be more pleased. Though, what Tilda likes even more about her is her witty and sometimes stubborn nature. It feels like a breath of fresh air.

That morning in the garden has yet to leave Tilda's mind. That kiss. She hadn't felt that kind of genuine connection in a very long time.

When Tilda's finally dismissed after a long but necessary meeting, she closes the door to her private bedroom with a tired sigh. She likes being Regent, she really does, but sometimes she just wants some time to herself. Time free of the ever-present war. After everything, Tilda knows that's just not realistic.

The sight that greets her when she turns around isn't that much of a surprise to her anymore. Odessa is casually seated on her blue duvet, sharpening a knife without paying attention to it. Instead, her eyes are focused on Tilda.

"Hey." Odessa greets her softly.

Tilda exhales deeply and walks over to where Odessa is seated, settling down next to her.

Odessa carefully puts her knife on the nightstand next to the bed and turns around to fully look at her.

"Long day?"

"I thought it would never end." Tilda sighs tiredly. That morning in the garden with Odessa feels like ages ago, and maybe it was. She spent most of her afternoons training with the others, helping out with the new refugees, and going over the plans for upcoming raids, barely leaving any time to breathe before she was called into a meeting with The Widow and Waldo. She's exhausted.

Tilda meets Odessa's warm gaze and realizes just how close they're sitting. There's barely an armlength between them, which instantly reminds her of that rare moment they shared in the garden. The genuine care in her warm brown eyes. The softness of her lips.  
In stark contrast to the harsh reality surrounding them.

She isn't sure who makes the first move, but their lips meet and the world dims a little. Her hand moves to Odessa's hair, almost on auto-pilot, and Odessa gently cups her cheek. The heaviness is lifted off her shoulders and her worries settle in the back of her mind. When Odessa opens her mouth, her mind goes blank. She vaguely registers the sound of someone knocking on her door.

"Tilda? Are you awake?" A voice from behind the door calls out and Tilda is harshly brought back to reality. She straightens up immediately and tries to catch her breath. Odessa looks awfully amused.

Before they knock again, Tilda shoots off her bed and quickly approaches the door, opening it just a crack.

"Yes?" Tilda clears her throat, trying not to sound like she's just ran a marathon.

"Sorry to bother you. A girl's missing." The younger girl, wearing the traditional Butterfly gear, tells her concerned.

"What? Who?" Tilda frowns.

"She hasn't been here that long and, according to the girls she arrived with, she's been talking about leaving. Maybe she ran away?"

It takes a moment for Tilda's mind to catch up.

"Odessa?" Tilda says a bit hoarsely and the girl looks surprised.

"Yes. We're worried about her."

Tilda is suddenly very aware of said girl's eyes on her from behind her.

"Don't be. I know she likes to walk through the gardens at night, I'm sure she's fine." It's never been this difficult to keep a steady voice and a straight face.

The young Butterfly doesn't look so certain.

"If she's still missing tomorrow morning, I'll find her myself." Tilda promises uselessly and the girl nods before wishing her a good night.

When Tilda closes the door and turns around, she's pleasantly surprised by Odessa's proximity. Her lips are on hers almost instantly. Tilda's back softly hits the door and Odessa smiles against her lips.

"The gardens, huh?" She chuckles and dips down a little to kiss Tilda's neck instead.

“You’re right. I do love the gardens.” Odessa whispers onto her skin and Tilda exhales shakily. But when Odessa’s hand slides down to toy with the Regent’s very complicated belt, Tilda freezes up a little.

“Are you okay?” Odessa leans back and tries to meet her eyes. In reply she gets a nod and a reassuring smile, but it doesn’t look very convincing.

“Hey.” Odessa whispers sadly, gently using her thumb to wipe away a tear Tilda didn’t even feel rolling down her cheek.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry.” Tilda says dismissively.

“No, you’re not.” Odessa looks into her eyes and sees a very familiar kind of pain. Unfortunately, she knows exactly what she’s feeling.

“It’s okay.” Odessa reassures her, stroking her cheek one last time before stepping back to give her some space.

“I should probably head back before they send out a search party to the gardens.” She adds, attempting to lighten up the mood a little. She moves past Tilda, but before she can turn the door handle, a soft voice stops her.

“Odessa.”

Odessa turns to meet her eyes again.

“Please, stay.” Tilda pleads sadly.

They fall asleep in a comfortable embrace that night.

* * *

Odessa is training with the others the next morning. It’s cold but bright outside as they practice on the misty grass field. Tilda isn’t participating, she’s keeping watch, or rather ‘scouting’ for potential new talents as The Widow had ordered. And she doesn’t mean to, but her eyes keep returning to one girl in particular. In Tilda’s defence, Odessa is definitely one of the better fighters on the field. So she’s only doing her job, isn’t she? Odessa successfully dodges a strike from her opponent and hooks the girl’s ankle, making her lose her balance and dropping down on the wet grass with a thud. An impressed smile forms on Tilda’s face and when Odessa notices her looking at her, she shoots her a pleased smirk and looks as if she’s ready to boast about her actions. What she doesn’t see is that her opponent is back on her feet and ready to tackle her to the ground. In a flash, Odessa’s on her back, meeting the end of her opponent’s sword. A chuckle escapes her lips before Tilda could suppress it.

When training comes to an end, a couple of remaining Butterflies are left to gather all the weapons and bring them back to storage. Tilda’s about to close up and head back to the main area when a hand on her wrist stops her.

“Hey.” It’s Odessa, of course, with a dangerously playful glint in her eyes.

Tilda can’t help but smile at the sight of her.

“And? Do you think I’m ready for my first mission?” Odessa pants, still looking quite muddy and wet from her training session. For a moment, Tilda just looks at her and really takes her in, in awe of her ability to look good even covered in mud and sweat.

“That’s certified information.” Tilda croaks out, somewhat pathetically. Odessa is so close to her, it’s hard to produce any coherent thoughts.

“Is it?” Odessa wonders, eying her. “You okay?”

Tilda nods earnestly. Odessa gives her an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I should’ve asked-.”

“No.” Tilda cuts her off. “It’s alright.”

“It’s not, though.” Odessa sighs deeply. “I want you to know that I’d never want to make you uncomfortable.”

“I know.” She forces out shakily and her hand finds the crook of Odessa’s neck, gently bringing her head closer to hers, before closing the distance. When Odessa deepens the kiss, she sighs contently and pulls her even closer.

They stand there for a moment, in the old dirty shed they use as a storage room, until Tilda breaks the kiss. Odessa opens her eyes and searches her face for any discomfort.

“Everything okay?” Odessa worries.

Tilda nods reassuringly.

“It’s lunchtime soon.” Tilda realizes. “You should probably wash up.”

Odessa doesn’t move a finger.

“I’m sure the Widow would prefer her newest recruits to look presentable.” Tilda adds in a teasing tone and Odessa’s eyes widen.

“Really?” Odessa lights up.

“Really. Now, wash up, because you smell.”

The look of mock-offense on Odessa’s face makes her chuckle.

Mud free and properly dressed, Odessa is sitting at the main table with her humbly filled plate. Tilda’s seated next to the Widow at the end of the table, seemingly deep in conversation. If only the other girls would quiet down a little, Odessa might be able to hear what’s being discussed.

Tilda sighs and nods at the Widow’s words. She knows the first mission of new recruits isn’t something to be taken lightly. Things could go wrong, people could lose their lives. But she hadn’t thought the Widow would appoint them to such a high-profile mission right away.

“You want them to sneak in and free Chau’s prisoners?” Tilda frowns at the suggestion.

“We’ll cause a distraction, which gives you plenty of time to lead them inside and get the prisoners to safety.” The Widow explains before casually taking a sip of her blood red wine.

Tilda’s eyes shoot to Odessa, who’s looking directly at her while drinking from her glass. She raises an eyebrow in a silent question, but Tilda returns her attention to the Widow to gather her thoughts.

“I’m not sure they’re ready for that.”

The Widow looks surprised at that statement and puts her glass down on the table.

“I thought you found some promising talents?”

“They are, I’m just-.”

“You’ll be with them the whole time. It’s nothing we haven’t done before.” The Widow points out, clearly not seeing the problem. Tilda nods, even though her worries stay on her mind.

* * *

Right after the Widow’s speech to her newest recruits, Tilda escapes to the quietness of her room. She’s restless. She knows the Widow is right, the chances of things going wrong are very small. But still, the thought of putting Odessa and the other girls out there, in real danger, doesn’t sit well with her. Tilda absentmindedly fidgets with a butterfly-shaped ninja star, when her door swings open.

“I can’t believe it’s actually happening tomorrow.” Odessa says excitedly, shutting the door behind her. “We’re going to fight together.”

“There won’t be any fighting.” Tilda mumbles, tracing the outlines of the ninja star with her finger.

“What?”

“It’s going to be quick. We get in without being seen, break out our targets, and return as fast as we can.” Tilda states clearly.

Odessa frowns and approaches her with her arms crossed.

“Surely there will be some guards we need to take care of?”

Tilda sighs and drops the ninja star back onto the table. She stares at the pile of lethal weapons for a moment.

“Fighting out there… it’s not like training. It’s real, there are no second chances. If you fall, you might not get up.” Tilda turns to face her.

“I know that.” Odessa frowns and steps closer, studying her and softening her stance a little. “Are you worried?”

Tilda sighs.

“I can take care of myself.” Odessa points out.

“I know you can.”

“Then stop worrying, please.” She sighs and grabs her hand. “Come, sit down.” Odessa adds, leading her to Tilda’s Regent-sized bed.

They settle down, their hands still intertwined.

“It’s going to be fine. We’re ready.” Odessa reassures her.

“What if something happens and I’m not there in time?” Tilda sighs.

“You can’t be everywhere at once. We can handle ourselves.” Odessa meets her eyes and gives her a weak smile.

“You know.” Odessa speaks up again. “This is exactly how I feel when I know you’re out fighting on some dangerous mission, not knowing when or if you’re going to return. I know you’re a good fighter, but-.”

“You can’t just tell your brain to stop worrying.” Tilda offers, knowing exactly what she’s talking about.

“Exactly.” She breathes.

Tilda’s gaze drops to Odessa’s lips and before she knows it, they’re kissing again. She presses into her and quietly moans when Odessa takes her bottom lip into her mouth. Her mind goes numb for a moment.

Odessa moves her lips to her neck again before momentarily breaking contact.

“Tell me if something makes you uncomfortable?”

Tilda opens her eyes and nods. Odessa smiles and goes back to kissing her neck, moving up to her jaw. She gently pushes Tilda back onto her bed and waits until she’s comfortably laying with her head on the cushions. Odessa crawls on top of her and kisses her on the lips. The feeling of a hand tugging at her jacket halts her actions. Tilda looks up at her, a bit unsure but determined at the same time. It takes a second for the penny to drop. _Oh._

“You sure?” Odessa asks.

“Yes.” Tilda pushes her blue Butterfly coat off her shoulder. Odessa grins and quickly gets rid of her coat entirely, as quickly as her hands could unbuckle her triple belt. She throws it on the end of the bed without a second glance. Odessa’s wearing a simple long-sleeved shirt underneath, which is discarded soon after. She’s left in a simple top and tight black trousers. It’s only then when she realizes they’re both still wearing their heavy boots.

“Wait.” Odessa quickly gets up to take her boots off, which of course isn’t an easy task. _Why can’t they just wear simpler clothing?_

Eventually, she gets them off and drops them to the ground. Tilda discards hers too with a thud. _Finally._

Tilda settles back onto the cushions and stares at Odessa’s revealed skin. She settles her hand onto her waist, barely touching her.

“I’m not going to break.” Odessa grins, encouraging her on. Almost echoing the same words she said only a few minutes before.

Tilda really touches her then, stroking with her thumb across the soft skin. Odessa kisses her again, her hand mirroring Tilda’s as she puts it on the fabric on her waist.

“Can I take off your coat?” Odessa whispers against her mouth.

“Yes.”

Odessa chuckles at the sight of her quadruple belt. _That’s just excessive._

“Four belts? Really? Do you get a new belt every time you get promoted?” Odessa jokes.

Tilda laughs breathlessly.

“How many does the Widow have? Ten?” Odessa teases as she unbuckles the third belt.

“Shut up.” Tilda laughs at the ridiculous visual.

When, finally, Odessa manages to unbuckle every single belt, she helps Tilda out of her dark clothing. With a nod, she gets permission to help her remove her trousers as well. She’s left in her undergarments, revealing a few scars on her light skin. Odessa traces one particularly thick scar across her left collarbone.

“What happened?” Odessa wonders, admiring the pink mark.

“One of my first missions.” Tilda sighs. “I wasn’t quick enough.”

Odessa locks eyes with her again, now fully understanding where Tilda’s worries come from. She was definitely speaking from experience earlier.

“How’d you make it out?” Odessa frowns. It must’ve been a serious injury, judging by the thickness of the scar. Her thumb softly strokes the rough skin as if she’s trying to ease the pain from her past.

“Snapped his neck.” Tilda tells her with a hint of a smile.

“I guess _he_ wasn’t quick enough.” Odessa chuckles breathlessly.

She replaces her thumb with her lips and is rewarded with a sharp inhale from Tilda.

“You’re beautiful.” She whispers, her hands roaming the newly exposed skin.

Odessa's hand stills on the fabric of Tilda's top, silently asking for permission. She gets her reply when Tilda rests her hand on her cheek, silently encouraging her on. Odessa’s hand slips underneath the fabric of her top, palming the soft skin she finds there. A quiet moan, partly muffled by Odessa’s lips, escapes her mouth. Tilda exhales shakily at the feeling of Odessa's thumb stroking her nipple.  
Then, her hand travels down across her stomach until it reaches the other piece of fabric. Tilda's breath hitches in anticipation.

"Are you okay?" Odessa double-checks, but one look in her eyes says enough.

Her hand slips underneath and Tilda arches into her touch. Odessa grins as her hand travels down, closer to where Tilda wants her. Her hand cups her completely and then stills to give Tilda time to get used to the feeling. When her finger finally slips inside and her thumb finds the spot that has her arching for more, Tilda’s hand grips the blue duvet on her bed.

“It’s okay, relax.” Odessa whispers softly. She moves slowly and circles the sensitive spot with her thumb, earning a moan that’s quickly muffled by Odessa’s lips as she leans down to kiss her. She moves a bit faster now, maintaining a good rhythm. Tilda’s breathing comes out ragged and her fingers are fully tangled in the sheets. Odessa moves her lips to her neck to place a kiss there, no longer muffling the sounds coming from Tilda’s mouth. Tilda arches up, her knuckles a ghostly white, and closes her eyes shut.

Odessa moves her hand to her waist and waits for her to open her eyes again.

“You okay?” She chuckles when Tilda’s eyes finally flutter open.

Tilda lifts her hand and cups Odessa’s cheek.

“Yeah.” She whispers in reply and pulls her into a lazy kiss.

Suddenly, sparring sounds coming from outside become loud enough for Tilda to realize what time it is. It’s only then when she remembers what she’s supposed to be doing. She breaks off the kiss and looks up at Odessa apologetically.

“I have to go over the plans for tomorrow.” She sighs. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Odessa sighs and places one last kiss on her lips before getting off her and collecting her clothes. “I should probably go training with the rest before the Widow changes her mind about me.”

“Maybe I should keep you here then.” Tilda says quietly, getting off the bed to shrug her clothing back on.

“Tilda.” Odessa sighs disapprovingly, turning to look at her and taking note of her adorably dishevelled look with all her belts loose. She takes a hold of one of the hands fidgeting with a belt.

“Everything is going to be fine. There’s nothing to worry about, okay?” Odessa whispers, squeezing her hand a little.

“I know.” Tilda sighs.

They’re quickly brought back to reality when someone knocks onto her door. It’s time to go.


End file.
